§ Helen JonesTo ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to ensure that judicial and magistrates' training programmes include training in awareness of the pressures on young people not to give evidence in cases involving child prostitution. [58328]
§ Mr. HoonJudicial training is the responsibility of the Judicial Studies Board (JSB) which is an advisory non-departmental public body. The JSB also sets the syllabuses for, and monitors and evaluates the training of, lay magistrates.
No training is currently given specifically on awareness of the pressures on young people not to give evidence in cases involving child prostitution. The JSB, however, runs regular induction and continuation courses for both full-and part-time judges in the Crown Court as well as seminars on serious sexual offences. These courses 4W include training on children as witnesses. All lay magistrates receive training on disadvantaged witnesses, including children, and those who sit in the Youth Court receive additional training in evaluating young people as witnesses.
Since January 1998 the JSB's Equal Treatment Advisory Committee has had the responsibility of advising the Board on all aspects of equal treatment training, including training on the needs of children. The Committee keeps the content of all JSB courses under review and is currently revising the guidance provided to all judges on equal treatment issues.